Atlantic

N.S. man’s Christmas village draws visitors from around the world

Bob Zinck's Christmas village along Nova Scotia's south shore attracts viewers from around the world every year.

Bob Zinck likes Christmas. A lot.

The retiree from Nova Scotia’s south shore started making his Christmas village about a decade ago, and it keeps getting bigger.

“I start in early October, to start putting it up. You know, get the high stuff on the sheds and house and stuff,” says Zinck. “My oldest daughter, she gets a little upset when she sees me up the ladder. But I just do it when she's not around.”

Every year, Zinck ends up buying or making new decorations. He's built Santa's sleigh, the Grinch, and even two gingerbread sheds. There so many Santa Claus manikins on the property that Zinck lost count.

Zinck has plenty of land on his property, so he continues to expand his Christmas village. He’s divided his yard into sections, from the North Pole to Disney Lane. And when the sun goes down, the lights shine clear across the water.

The Christmas village has brought in thousands of visitors from across the globe.

“There was people from Columbia, Australia, Brazil, California. I suppose in the area visiting people, and they just happened to come over. Even Mexico,” says Zinck.

Zinck has more than 20,000 lights, but says his electric bill isn’t that bad because he uses LED bulbs.

He plans to keep it going for years to come.

“It gives you really a feeling that you did something. You know, accomplished something.”